


reach out, reach in

by guitarstrings



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 05:47:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19125829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guitarstrings/pseuds/guitarstrings
Summary: Sayo closes her eyes and runs a hand through her hair, the yearning to touch Lisa returning full-force the moment her fingers leave the strings. Maybe she should give in to her urges this time; her wrists are starting to feel sore after all the playing she’s been doing, anyway.





	reach out, reach in

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write something that's SayoLisa-centric for a while now, and Neo-Aspect's event story gave me the final push I needed to do it so here we are! In relation to that, this story takes place some time after Neo-Aspect's events :) 
> 
> Title of this fic taken from "Forever" by December Avenue
> 
> P.S. You guys can talk to me on Twitter: @guitarstrings04

Aside from the muted sound of the rain gently pattering against the window and the soft melody coming from the quiet way she plucks at the strings of her acoustic guitar, it’s a fairly quiet evening in Sayo’s bedroom. By her legs, Lisa lies on her side, breathing every so softly as the seconds tick by.

Lisa’s wavy, waist-length hair, normally held together by a high ponytail, is now loose from its confines; her highlighted brown curls cascade the sheets of the bed, hiding part of her face from plain sight. She’s wearing one of Sayo’s button-up shirts, the three topmost buttons left open and the sleeves rolling slightly past her fingertips.

There isn’t much of a difference between their height, so Sayo’s clothes don’t look too big on Lisa. Nonetheless, Sayo quite likes seeing Lisa wear her clothes, and she may have even turned a blind eye to the fact that Lisa has yet to return some of them.

_If_ Lisa even plans to in the first place.

She guesses she and Tomoe are in the same boat, ever since Lisa had suggested that Saya wear Tomoe’s clothes sometime. Lisa’s influence is… far-reaching, to say the least, but it definitely isn’t for the worst.

After all, Sayo doesn’t think she would have become the person she is now without Lisa’s tireless encouragement.

It’s only fair, Sayo thinks, to give as much as Lisa gives her.

And if Lisa is content to simply be in this shared space, then Sayo can at least offer her that much.

Outside, lightning flashes, bathing Sayo’s bedroom in light for a split second before the lampshade on her nightstand becomes their only source of light once more. Through it all, Lisa doesn’t stir, the rhythm of her breathing remaining unchanged.

Sayo’s hand stills on the fretboard, her fingers itching to reach out and brush Lisa’s hair aside so she could get a better view of her serene expression. But it would be a shame if her touch were to wake Lisa from her peaceful slumber, especially after the rigorous practice session they had with the rest of Roselia merely a few hours ago.

If anything, Lisa needs that rest after the emotional burden she’d put upon herself trying to keep Roselia afloat every time a tiny crack so much as shows.

So Sayo retracts her hand and resumes playing, her ears more attuned to the notes that the strings make than the sound of the rain and the low rumbling of the darkened sky that warns of an incoming thunder.

She’s not sure how long she’s been playing, but what she does know is that it was what had lulled Lisa to sleep. At first, Lisa had tried to fight it and even asked for her to stop, most likely afraid that if she fell asleep, Sayo would no longer be there when she wakes up.

Or that she feels like their time together would be short-lived if she drifted off and left Sayo to be awake by herself.

It’s silly, because they _are_ in Sayo’s house, in _her_ bedroom, and yet…

And yet Sayo doesn’t blame Lisa, not even in the slightest. Not after they’ve come so far from where they began, not after Sayo has come to realize that she, too, longs to be as close to Lisa as she possibly can – whether it be having Lisa in her arms or them opening up to each other.  

To think that she could ever feel this way for another person…

Sayo closes her eyes and runs a hand through her hair, the yearning to touch Lisa returning full-force the moment her fingers leave the strings. Maybe she should give in to her urges this time; her wrists are starting to feel sore after all the playing she’s been doing, anyway.

Not to mention that she would most likely get a scolding if Lisa were to catch on.

The thought of it causes Sayo to chuckle and shake her head in amusement, and along with it the decision to finally set her guitar aside. She then stretches and wriggles her fingers to loosen the tightness that had formed before gingerly sweeping Lisa’s hair aside with the back of her hand.

Unlike Lisa, she isn’t one who has always known how to show her affection – especially not through gentle touches. It’s something she’s still trying to get used to, but to her immense relief, Lisa doesn’t seem to mind her moments of hesitancy and clumsiness.

For that, for _Lisa,_ Sayo is nothing short of grateful.

And then Lisa stirs. In her surprise, Sayo immediately retracts her hand, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as bleary eyes start to focus on her.

“Sayo…?” Lisa mumbles, voice laced with sleep. “You’re still awake?”

“Ah, yes…” Sayo rests her hand on her knee and coughs. “I, uhm, I wasn’t feeling particularly tired…”

Lisa’s eyes flicker to Sayo’s curled fingers, and, smile soft, she gently unfurls them and slides hers underneath Sayo’s now open palm. “Thanks for staying here… Are you sure you didn’t get bored?”

Sayo shakes her head, breath catching in her throat as Lisa strokes her palm with her calloused fingertips – a testament to how hard she works on practicing with the bass. That much Sayo has always admired about her, even though she had been so stubborn in acknowledging that aspect of Lisa in the past.

“I was practicing with the acoustic guitar, so you don’t have to worry,” Sayo says in assurance.

Tongue pushed against her cheek, Lisa takes Sayo’s hands and worriedly inspects them for any signs of cuts and bleeding. “Not too much, I hope? We practiced really hard with Yukina and the others earlier, after all…”

Again, Sayo shakes her head, touched by Lisa’s sincere concern for her wellbeing. “I’m alright, I promise.”

When she finds no signs of Sayo overworking herself, Lisa begins to relax, doubly reassured by the smile that pulls at the corners of Sayo’s lips.

“That’s good to hear,” Lisa whispers, her own eyes smiling as they catch Sayo’s. The rain outside grows stronger, and Lisa frowns as she turns to glance at the window. “Wow, it’s really pouring out there…”

Before she can stop herself, Sayo offers, “Then why don’t you stay the night?”

Lisa’s head snaps back towards her so fast that Sayo winces, both at the prospect of Lisa suffering from whiplash and the impulsive proposal she had just blurted out without thinking – but mostly at the latter.

Cursing herself internally, Sayo bites her lip and hurriedly averts her gaze, the heat in her cheeks growing with every second that passes by. Really. She should have waited until Lisa suggested the solution herself, and then Sayo would have agreed without missing a beat.

But that wouldn’t be right, either. This is her house, after all, so it’s only appropriate that she be the one to ask Lisa in this situation and not the other way around.

“Sayo…? Did I- did I hear you right?” Lisa sucks in a breath, as though not daring to believe what she had just heard.

“Yes, I-“ Sayo takes a deep breath to compose herself before continuing, “it doesn’t seem like the rain is letting up anytime soon, and I would hate it if you got sick because I left you to brave this downpour.”

Lisa’s eyes widen, and in a burst of happiness, she sits up straight and throws her arms around Sayo’s neck, causing Sayo to stagger backwards. “That’s- jeez, you’re so sweet and thoughtful, Sayo…” she nuzzles her face into the crook of Sayo’s neck and releases a quiet sigh. “Thank you.”

Sayo inhales sharply and subconsciously wraps her arms around Lisa’s waist. Truly, only Lisa would think the likes of her as someone sweet and thoughtful despite her history.

“You’re welcome, Lisa,” Sayo answers, liking the way Lisa’s name sounds rolling off her tongue.

“Hang on, I’ll just text my parents that I’m staying over,” Lisa says, pulling away from the embrace to reach for her phone that sits on Sayo’s nightstand.

Without saying a word, Sayo watches Lisa scroll through her phone and type in a string of messages, curiosity hitting her when Lisa giggles at one point.

“What a coincidence; Saya told me that she’s staying over at Tomoe’s house for the night,” Lisa explains with a grin. “Tomoe is insisting that Saya takes her bed while she sleeps on the floor, though.”

It’s then that a sudden realization strikes Sayo. Would it even be alright if she and Lisa slept in the same bed for an entire night? Space is no issue, of course, since there’s more than enough room for them to lie next to each other, however…

There are other matters to take into consideration – ones Sayo would rather not entertain at the moment.

Never mind the implications of that, so maybe she should follow Tomoe’s example and place a futon on the ground to sleep on.

“I think…” Sayo clears her throat and starts toying with a lock of hair. “I think I’ll lay out a futon on the floor as well while you use the bed, Lisa.”

At that, Lisa furrows her eyebrows and frowns in confusion. “You don’t have to do that, you know? There’s plenty of space for the two of us.”

“Yes, but…” Sayo’s eyes land on Lisa’s exposed collarbone before swiftly looking away.

“Oh,” Lisa giggles, reaching between them to lightly stroke at the inside of Sayo’s wrist. Still, Sayo refuses to meet her gaze, pulse racing despite the gentleness of Lisa’s touch. “Don’t worry about that, okay?” she smiles and bumps their knees together. “I trust you, Sayo.”

This finally gets Sayo to draw her gaze back to Lisa, a feeling of calm washing over her upon seeing the slight curve of Lisa’s lips. Lisa has always had that effect on Roselia, almost as though she could calm a raging storm with nothing more than the kindest of smiles and the most reassuring of words.

And to Sayo, those had also been what helped silence the furious tempest that had been running rampant within her for the longest time.

It might be a strange analogy, but Sayo can’t think of any other way to describe the effect Lisa has on her.

Lower lip tucked between her teeth, Lisa hesitantly starts crawling her fingertips up Sayo’s arm, thumb stroking at patches of skin along the way.

Sayo furrows her eyebrows in worry; Lisa isn’t normally one to be hesitant unless there’s something troubling her. “Lisa? Is something the matter?”

Lisa does a little start, a sheepish laugh falling from her lips. “Ah, no. It’s nothing. Sorry about that.”

“Sorry?” Sayo frowns. There was nothing that Lisa had done wrong, so why did she suddenly feel the need to apologize? “What for?”

Lisa sucks in a breath then rests her head on Sayo’s shoulder and releases a sigh, the ends of her hair tickling Sayo’s skin. Still, she doesn’t respond yet, instead nuzzling her cheek into the sleeve of Sayo’s shirt. “I was just thinking of something,” she finally says after a beat, after Sayo draws her close by wrapping an arm around her.

“What about?”

Another breath, followed by the curve of a smile ghosting Sayo’s jaw. “About how warm you are.”

Sayo blinks, unsure how to react to that. “Thank you…? But what does that have to do with your apology?”

“I just remembered that period of time after our failed performance at SMS,” Lisa starts, a faraway look in her eyes.

Sayo’s heart twists in her chest at the sight.

That had certainly been a trying moment, and even more so for Lisa who had been at a complete loss in trying to find a solution that would help everyone. Either way, Sayo wouldn’t have left Lisa alone, but seeing that broken expression that shouldn’t belong to someone as kind and caring as Lisa…

Something inside of Sayo had snapped then, and before she knew it, she had found it difficult to leave Lisa’s side.

Before she knew it, Lisa was pouring out her heart, her soul, and every worry that had been weighing down on her.

Before either of them knew it, they were already being pushed into a different direction – one that strayed far past and diverged completely from the path they’d both been walking on.

And here they are, after letting themselves be led along by that gentle push.

“You were…” Lisa scratches at Sayo’s shorts, voice suddenly turning quiet. “You were so warm back then, Sayo, and you heard everything I did and didn’t say. That made me want to have you by my side even more, and I guess…” she then gives Sayo a watery smile and draws her knees to her chin. “I guess that was very selfish of me, wasn’t it?”

At the quiet admission, Sayo feels the world screech to a halt.

Lisa then casts her gaze down on the sheets, fidgeting with the hem of Sayo’s shirt that she’s wearing.

Selfish…? Lisa, selfish?

That doesn’t sound right, not even in the slightest bit. This is Lisa, after all, who has nothing but love and kindness to give to those around her. And to think Lisa felt that way about herself, after she’d learned to rely on someone else and not have to shoulder everything on her own.

“That’s not-“ Sayo clears her throat to get rid of the dryness that had formed and vigorously shakes her head. “That’s not true, Lisa. Please don’t think that you were being selfish, because you weren’t.”

Lisa lifts her head to look at Sayo, though a bit of sadness still lurks within her eyes.

Sayo takes in a deep breath, reaching between them to gently clasp Lisa’s hands in hers. “Learning to lean on someone else doesn’t automatically mean you’re being selfish, and if I were to be honest as well, I was glad that you chose to rely on me back then.”  

This gets Lisa to laugh, the beginnings of a grin forming across her face as she nudges Sayo with her leg. “You really felt that way?”

Sayo’s lips curve into a smile. “I did,” she confirms.

Lisa shakes her head fondly and moves closer so she can rest her head on Sayo’s chest. “Then… you don’t mind if I become a bit selfish with you for now?”

Snaking an arm around Lisa’s waist, Sayo buries her nose into her hair and shakes her head. “Not at all, if that’s what you want.”

“You really are warm…” Lisa sighs happily, as she curls her fingers around the fabric of Sayo’s shirt.

It only takes a moment for Lisa to sink comfortably into Sayo’s embrace, and not a second longer for her to start peppering the underside of Sayo’s jaw with indulging kisses. Sayo flushes a little at the shower of affection, causing Lisa to giggle and give her a light poke on the cheek.

“So,” Lisa hums, leaning back so she can have a glimpse of Sayo’s face. “Do you still want to sleep on the floor?”

Sayo sighs inwardly, though the fond smile she wears betrays her. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Good,” Lisa says approvingly. “Because there’s no way I’m letting you. I can be pretty stubborn myself, you know?”

At that, Sayo can only chuckle; she has already long known that to be true about Lisa, though her stubbornness can show at the strangest of times just like the way it does now.

Well, it isn’t as if Sayo minds. Not when she’s comfortable herself having Lisa near her, her very presence bringing a quiet comfort to Sayo as she always has been, even after everything Sayo has been through.

And it doesn’t take long until Sayo falls asleep to the sound of the rain, with Lisa nestled safely in her arms throughout the night.


End file.
